Objective  To explore the characteristics of baseline inflammatory markers in diabetic foot patients and their relationship with the prognosis of diabetic foot ulcers.

  Methods  The clinical data of diabetic foot patients (n=495) admitted to West China Hospital, Sichuan University since 2016 were retrospectively collected through the hospital electronic medical record system to analyze the characteristics of inflammatory markers and their relationship with the prognosis of diabetic foot ulcers.

  Results  White blood cell count (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were significantly higher in patients defined as grade 4 on the Wagner Scale than those in patients defined as grade 0-3 on the Wagner Scale. Neutrophil percentage (NE%) was higher in Wagner grade-4 patients than those in Wagner grade-0 and grade-1 patients and higher in Wagner grade-3 patients than those in Wagner grade-0 patients. NE%, CRP, PCT, and IL-6 levels were positively correlated with the severity of diabetic foot, with the respective odds ratio (OR) at 95% confidence interval (CI) being 1.038 (1.019-1.056), 1.019 (1.012-1.026), 8.225 (2.015-33.576), and 1.017 (1.008-1.025). Using Wagner grade-0 patients as the reference, patients with higher WBC were more likely to progress to Wagner grade 2, 3, and 4, with the respective OR (95% CI) values being 1.260 (1.096-1.447), 1.188 (1.041-1.356), and 1.301 (1.137-1.490); patients with higher ESR were more likely to progress to Wagner grade 3 and 4, with the respective OR (95% CI) values being 1.030 (1.006-1.054) and 1.045 (1.019-1.071). Baseline ESR (P=0.008), CRP (P=0.039), and IL-6 (P=0.033) levels were lower in patients who had received antibiotics prior to their admission than those in patients who had not received antibiotics before admission. The levels of WBC, NE%, ESR, PCT, and IL-6 were lower in the full recovery group than those in the group of patients who did not respond to treatment. The higher the levels of NE% and IL-6, the worse the prognosis of diabetic foot ulcers became, with the respective OR (95% CI) values being 1.030 (1.010-1.051) and 1.008 (1.002-1.013).

  Conclusion  The severity of diabetic foot ulcers increased with the rise in baseline levels of inflammatory markers. Elevated baseline NE% and IL-6 levels suggest a poor prognosis. Our findings suggest that early assessment of diabetic foot infection and standardized antibiotic therapy should be implemented to improve the prognosis.